Lawyer, Private Investigator, Working on Citra House Fire

Published November 12th, 2010

Four days after a house fire killed five children, a private attorney and an investigator are working for the surviving family members.
Dock Blanchard of Blanchard, Merriam, Adel and Kirkland, is now representing the family.
A private fire expert will investigate the cause of the fire and work with the State Fire Marshall's Office.
Dock Blanchard said he has received a number of calls concerning the bad condition of the home but said it's too soon to jump to conclusions.
"I want to leave it to the facts, i want to leave it to the experts," he said. "The expert will come forward and he will talk to people, and interview people and do tests, and those facts will drive the answer rather than early speculation."
Blanchard has reached out to the owner of the Citra home, Otto E. Beyer.
The landlord has also acquired legal council, and they are not commenting on the fire.
But a former tenant of the Citra home, Perry Hickman, told TV 20 the electrical wiring inside was shoddy.
"We moved out. It was just not safe," he said.

Lawyer, Private Investigator, Working on Citra House Fire
The residents of other homes owned by Beyer have expressed similar complaints to TV 20.
"They do quick fixes," another former tenant said under anonymity. "They don't do anything."
Blanchard, who has practiced in Ocala since 1974, says it's his job to do the investigating and just wants the family to have room to grieve.
The attorney will also help the family organize donations and says they have been humbled by the outpouring of support from the community.
"And that support comes from cards, letters, comments, all kinds of support and it has been overwhelming and they want everyone to know how much they appreciate that," he said.